


Candy Floss and Caramel

by RingingSilence



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Asexual Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Canon Asexual Character, Fluff, GGBO AU, M/M, Multi, Pre-Relationship, SO MUCH BANTER, because there was flour on hands and Martin tried to help him, discussions of crushes, everyone is friends and are having a good time, great british bake-off AU, implied aro Sasha, it's not mentioned but it's important to me, one (1) swear, pre-JonGerryMartin, some talk about Jon's butt, this is just a random snippet from an idea I'll probably never finish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:14:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28866849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RingingSilence/pseuds/RingingSilence
Summary: “I have a crush on Jon,” Martin sighed. It took a moment for him to notice he’d said it out loud and as soon as the realization hit him he buried his face in his hands.Season 1 Archives crew + Gerry, Banter, and the early stages of Noticing Feelings. (GBBO AU)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	Candy Floss and Caramel

**Author's Note:**

> For some context: they are about six weeks into the competition. Early on, Martin started hanging behind to help Gerry wash dishes after filming and after a while the rest of the eventual friend-group joined them. Martin just came back from a week off to take care of his dying mother and managed to win Star Baker so Tim dragged everyone out to celebrate. 
> 
> (Elias was also a contestant and got kicked off this week >:P Unfortunately, he's Jon's boss so Jon isn't rid of him yet but that's not really relevant here)

The booth the five of them were crammed into was in the back corner, about as far away from the comfort of a cool window as they could get and lit by a hanging lamp that was probably on death’s door but the table was surprisingly clean and the cushions didn’t stick to their sweaty backs so Martin warmed up to it fairly quickly. It helped that Tim and Sasha insisted that he, Jon and Gerry cram onto the bench. Every time Gerry waved his hands while telling a story he elbowed Martin and Martin had to raise his voice a little for Jon to hear him over the loud music and louder patrons, but it was worth it for every time Gerry smiled or Jon’s laughter managed to rise above the din. He should have felt trapped in his cramped seat, but all he felt was warm and happy and pleasantly distracted. 

All too soon, Jon gathered his coat and made his farewells. Martin managed to smile while he wished him well and was startled when Jon held out his scarred hand.

“Congratulations again. We’ll see who makes Star Baker next week.”

Sasha nodded towards him and Gerry elbowed Martin more subtly than before. Martin hurriedly reached out to shake Jon’s hand. “U-um, y-yeah! Yeah, I won’t make it easy for you.”

Tim laughed. “Hey, the rest of us have a decent shot, too!”

“Then you’d better not scramble the custard next weekend,” Jon sniped back before letting Tim drag him down into a hug that nearly sent him crashing into the table. 

Sasha patted his shoulder around Tim. “Give Elias hell for us.”

“I will certainly try, or at least to stay out of his way.” Jon managed to break out of Tim’s hold enough to squeeze her hand and fist-bump Gerry, and then he was walking away through the crowded pub.

Martin rested his chin in his hand and watched him go. Even in the dim lights he still caught the faint flour handprint on the back of his dark slacks just before he disappeared.

Tim knocked back the rest of his drink and slammed the glass on the table. “Alright, now that the boss is gone: biggest mistake of this week. Go!”

“Definitely overproving that dough during the technical,” Sasha said. “I knew I shouldn’t have listened to you.”

Tim shrugged. “Everyone did, except for Jon and Ms. Melanie Knives. I’d say…not saving a few more minutes for decoration. Those piped roses were not my best work.”

“Not the custard,” Gerry asked with a smirk. 

“Hey, to make a great custard you’ve got to scramble a few eggs. It’s called a learning experience.”

“Is that so?”

“I have a crush on Jon,” Martin sighed. It took a moment for him to notice he’d said it out loud and as soon as the realization hit him he buried his face in his hands. “Oh, oh god, I didn’t mean to say that.”

Tim barked out a laugh. “What, that was supposed to be a secret?”

Martin peeked up at him through his fingers. “That obvious?”

Tim shrugged. “Are you kidding? Who doesn’t have a bit of a crush on him? I do, Sasha does—“

“I don’t have a crush on anybody,” Sasha insisted, shaking her glass for emphasis. 

“Don’t pretend you weren’t staring at his ass, too.”

“Martin’s the one who left the flour print on it!”

“It was an accident! He was falling, I was just trying to help,” Martin whined. 

“You know who’s being awfully quiet,” Tim said. “I think our cameraman is just as infatuated as the rest of us. You spent an awfully long time in the back of the set today, Mr. Keay.”

Gerry slid down in his seat. The collar of his leather jacket came up past his chin, but it wasn’t quite tall enough to hide his reddening ears. “It’s a good place to keep track of everybody.”

“Sure it is, and that’s why I saw your phone out? Must be hard to carry one of those big cameras and your phone at the same time.”

“You’re just jealous because I got pics,” Gerry mumbled. 

Sasha slapped her hand down on the table. “I demand you text me those.”

“What happened to not being enamored like the rest of us,” Tim asked.

“I never said I couldn’t appreciate an attractive person, and those pics are going to be great blackmail material.”

“Ooh, good point. Gerry, send ‘em my way, too.” 

“Should we really be talking about Jon like this,” Martin groaned. “He’s not even here to defend himself!”

Tim waved his hand and picked up his drink. “He’s my friend, he’d understand. That’s why he asked me to send him the pic I took of you and Gerry.”

Gerry reemerged from his slow journey under the table. “What?”

Tim froze. “…Oh, huh. Probably shouldn’t have mentioned that.”

“Wait, what pic,” Sasha asked, even as she reached for Tim’s pocket. 

He nearly upended his chair trying to escape her. “It’s nothing! Just a pic of the two of them doing dishes together! It was a cute moment and Jon agreed!”

Gerry began oozing back under the table. Martin considered joining him, but doubted he’d be able to fit quite so easily.

Sasha grabbed the front of Tim’s shirt and tugged him back so she could scowl down at him. “Timothy Stoker, you’ll share with the class or I won’t come to Showstopper practice this week.”

“Alright, alright!” He held out his phone and she snatched it away. “My password is—“

“No need,” she hummed, jabbing at the screen like she used Tim’s phone all the time. After a moment she went still. Her determined frown softened. “Oh.”

“’Oh’” Martin asked.

“Hang on, I’m texting this to myself.” She tapped the screen a few times and held it out for him to take. 

The picture was of him and Gerry doing the dishes, just like Tim had said. The world outside of the tent was dark but the area around the sink was bright and warmly lit. They both had their backs to the camera but it was angled such that it caught Martin’s grinning profile and Gerry’s whole face as he laughed at something Martin had said. Gerry’s jacket was tied around his waist, exposing his delicate hands and the stark tattoos on his wrist and elbow. Martin was wearing the hat Gerry normally tucked his long hair up into, sitting at an angle from when Gerry had slapped it on his head just before the shot. A handful of soap bubbles floated around them, candy-colored in the bright reflections of the tent. 

Martin’s heart flipped in his chest. “…Oh.”

Gerry pulled himself up enough to look over his shoulder. “…Oh,” he echoed. Martin glanced up at him and was surprised to see his face was just as red as Martin’s own probably was. 

Tim sighed and swirled his empty glass around. “Ah, young love.” 

Sasha swatted him and the moment was broken. Gerry sank back down until he was laying half-under the table and pulled his hat down over his face. Martin cleared his throat and handed the phone back to Tim. “Um, thanks I guess? It’s…nice.”

Time snorted and slipped it back into his pocket. “It’s adorable.”

Martin jumped when his own phone buzzed in his pocket and Gerry’s shoulder jerked next to him. 

“Just texted it to both of you,” Sasha said merrily. 

Gerry, still in the process of being swallowed up by their leg space, coughed. “Um, thanks.”

Eventually the conversation turned back to other topics and Gerry reemerged. Martin couldn’t help but notice the way Gerry’s shoulder stayed pressing lightly into his for the rest of the evening. He silently wondered if it was just because of the tight space in the booth.

**Author's Note:**

> Me: Okay, I've got to finish the Star Wars AU update.  
> *finishes it* ...  
> *is paralyzed by anxiety* ......
> 
> I wanted to get something posted so have some random fluff instead :'3


End file.
